Crate Seeks Re-Election As Mayor In Brick

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township Mayor Lisa Crate is looking to continue her service leading the town, as Democrats seek to retain control of the municipal government.

Crate's candidacy to continue as mayor was announced recently by the town's Democratic Club recently. She is joined on the ticket by council candidates Heather deJong, who is seeking re-election, and newcomers Dan Ward and Rocco Lepore.

Crate, who was appointed mayor to replace John Ducey in 2023 when he stepped down to become a Superior Court judge, won election that November to finish the final two years of Ducey's term. She will be seeking her first full term as mayor.

There are three, four-year council seats up for election. DeJong holds one and is seeking her fourth term on the council. She was elected in 2014.

Marianna Pontoriero, who has served since 2014 but has faced health challenges over the last several years, is not seeking re-election, so her seat will be open.

The third seat up for election is held by Perry Albanese, a Republican. He was not listed on the council slate announced by the Brick Republican Club in February.

The Republican candidates — Madeline Colagiovanni Iannarone is challenging Crate for mayor, and Gregory J. Cohen, Robert Canfield III and Lisa Reina are running for the council seats — are hoping for a shift in control of the town government, which has been controlled by the Democrats since 2014.

With three seats up for election, the council will remain under Democratic control regardless of who wins the seats, as the remaining four seats are held by Democrats.

Crate said she and the Democrats have worked hard to keep property taxes stable over the last 11 years, "and that’s our most important job."

"It hasn’t been easy with inflation making everything cost more, but just like families across Brick, we are finding ways to do more with less," Crate said.

The campaign said she has prioritized debt reduction and open space preservation, most notably preserving 32 acres of Breton Woods, and has expanded public services offered by the township, such as free dialysis transportation for seniors, "all while keeping the average municipal tax increase to 1 percent per year," she said.

The township has increased funding for the police department and expanded the Brick Neighborhood Watch program, which now has over 60 neighborhood groups, and Crate said she has worked to foster a sense of community between residents to maintain a small-town feel.

DeJong, who works for Meals on Wheels of Ocean County, which serves homebound seniors in Brick and throughout Ocean County, serves as a member of the council's business and finance committee and "has overseen the township’s debt reduction plan and the Buy in Brick Property Tax Rebate program," the announcement said.

Ward is a chemistry professor at Ocean County College and an active volunteer in town, taking part in the Pick Up Brick trash cleanup efforts, and has served on the Brick Township Planning Board for 4 years, "where he supported the preservation of open space, including the 32-acre Breton Woods property." Ward is a member of Clean Water Action and was President and a founding member of the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association.

Lepore has worked as a union carpenter for more than 30 years and serves on the Brick Township Board of Adjustment, and applies his expertise in building and construction there. He serves as a senior council representative for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, representing 15,000 members across New Jersey. Lepore "was a key advocate for the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) ordinance passed in Brick which ensures that Brick construction jobs go to Brick residents," the announcement said.